336 
AMKRICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[September, 
Effectiveness of the silo, except in degree. We 
give an engraving (fig. 1), showing the shape and 
manner of construction of the Katonah silo, and at 
figure 2 the manner in which it is used. It will be 
seen that the only difference between the operation 
of this and the French silo, is, that the former has 
not so dense and compact a covering as the latter. 
A very close covering is not so essential with brew¬ 
ers’grains, as with corn fodder, because they pack 
much closer and exclude the air better than the 
looser com stalks ; but when the latter are cut up 
Into chaff, and thoroughly well pressed down, a 
mere covering of planks, nicely jointed upon the 
edges, would he sufficient for the exclusion of the 
air from the mass below. It is always preferable 
to cut the fodder into pieces, not longer than one 
inch, for the reason that it then packs more closely 
and the preservation is more complete. The silo, 
shown in figure 1, consists of a sort of basement 
sellar, with the door opening into the cow-stabie 
(Mr. Brady’s farm is a milk dairy), and the rear 
sunk for the most part beneath the ground ; a road 
passes the end of it, where there is a door, shown 
by dotted lines, for the purpose of unloading the 
grains. The walls are of stone, and the floor is of 
cement. The silo is covered with an ordinary 
shingle roof. The grains are packed in solidly, un¬ 
til they reach the level of the door at the top, when 
they are covered with boards, and some straw is 
thrown over the boards. When the grains are re¬ 
quired, the lower door is opened, and the grains, as 
fresh as when put in, hut somewhat sour, are dug 
out for use. As the mass is cut away, nothing is 
done to the surface which is left exposed to the 
air; but as the grains are very quickly used in this 
large dairy, there is not time for them to be in¬ 
jured, and the surface is made fresh every day by 
the removal of what was left exposed the day be¬ 
fore. The same method may be applied to the 
preservation of corn fodder. As cut green fodder 
lies in a looser and more open mass than grains, it 
would be necessary to have a cover as nearly im¬ 
pervious to air as possible, for use when the silo is 
opened and the preserved fodder is in course of 
consumption. This may be easily done by means 
qf wide planks, jointed smoothly at the edges,. 
which should be laid upon the face of the mass of 
fodder as it is cut away. Pins may be inserted in a 
few of these planks, upon which another plank may 
rest, and the whole cover may then be pressed 
tightly against the fodder by means of a piece of 
timber placed with one end against, the wall, and 
the other end resting upon the cross-plank, and 
thus made to act as a wedge. (This is shown 
in figure 2.) It will be necessary to cut away 
the mass of fodder smoothly and regularly, leav¬ 
ing an even surface for the planks to rest against. 
In packing away com fodder in this manner, 
it would be very useful to mix a considerable 
proportion of cut straw with it, to absorb the super¬ 
abundant moisture and to moderate the fermenta¬ 
tion. It has been found in practice, that this plan 
serves to increase the feeding value of the straw, 
without deteriorating in the least the quality of the 
corn. It has also been proved, that the fermenta¬ 
tion which the corn undergoes, changes some of its 
cellulose in character, and renders it more digesti¬ 
ble, as well as transforms some of its starch into 
sugar, and some of its sugar into alcohol. The 
preserved fodder possesses an agreeable vinous 
scent, which is not at all distasteful, but rather 
otherwise, to the cows to which it is fed. When it 
is understood how easily this valuable fodder may 
be preserved, we shall look for the adoption of 
the method upon dairy and stock farms, where 
the food supply is a matter of serious consideration. 
A Non-Freezing Pump. 
In the American Agriculturist for March, 1877, we 
gave illustrations of 
some very excellent 
pumps which were so 
well adapted to a va¬ 
riety of uses that they 
were appropriately call¬ 
ed “Universal” pumps. 
At this season, when 
we are necessarily on 
the lookout for proper 
appliances for use in 
the rapidly coming 
winter, a non-freezing 
out-door pump for the 
houseyard, the barn¬ 
yard, or the field, will 
be a timely thing to 
consider. The pump 
here illustrated is one 
of this character, in¬ 
tended for wells from 
20 to 200 feet deep, and 
is made by the manu¬ 
facturers of the “ Uni¬ 
versal V pumps above 
alluded to, viz., the 
Nason Manufacturing 1- —THE pump. 
Co., of Fulton st., New York. This pump is built 
in a remarkably strong manner, being protected by 
flanges or buttresses on 
four sides. This mode of 
construction gives com¬ 
parative lightness with 
great strength. The bar¬ 
rel of the pump, as may 
be seen at figure 1, is very 
narrow, so that it is quick¬ 
ly filled, and as quickly 
emptied, which in cold 
weather tends to prevent 
the water inside from 
freezing, and also saves 
time in bringing the wa¬ 
ter. A tap, below the 
surface of the ground, 
permits the water to 
escape rapidly, as soon 
as the working of the 
pump is stopped; in 
winter this tap is kept 
open, but in summer it is 
Fig. 2.— VALVES, ETC. 
closed. Ventilating holes are made in the well- 
cover, and the standard, as shown by the arrows, and 
these provide for a circulation of air in the well; 
as water may be drawn out of it, air enters, and 
thus the well is supplied with fresh air. These 
holes being placed high in the base, no vermin of 
any kind can enter the well. The handle is fluted, 
so that it can be attached in a moment to the rod 
of a windmill, by means of a clip and a set-screw, 
and as quickly released. Figure 2, shows the ar¬ 
rangement of air chambers and valves for a deep 
well, which are used with this pump. As the pump 
is wholly of iron, with the exception of brass 
cylinders, which are provided when desired, and 
very strongly made, although from its construction 
it is much. lighter than would be supposed from 
its exterior appearance, it is excellently adapted 
for farm use for both the deep and shallow wells. 
Ventilators for Fodder Stacks. 
The perfect curing of fodder corn is difficult, 
even with the best appliances ; as usually done, the 
curing is very imperfect. The fodder corn crop is 
one that merits not 
only the best prepa¬ 
ration of the ground 
and the best culture, 
but it is worthy of 
special care in har¬ 
vesting and curing. 
The French farmers 
are giving much at¬ 
tention to this crop, 
and by good cul¬ 
ture, are raising Fig . 
most extraordinary 
and very profitable yields. Seventy tons per acre 
is not unfrequently grown by the best farmers. 
We do not average more than eight tons per acre, 
yet with us the corn crop may be grown under the 
most favorable circumstances. In a few instances, 
a yield of 30 tons per acre has been reached by one 
farmer, but this is the highest within our knowledge. 
One of the most prominent defects in ordinary 
American agriculture is, the neglect with which 
this easily grown and very valuable crop is treated ; 
and one of the most promising improvements in 
our advancing system of culture is, the attention 
now being given to fodder corn. A drawback under 
which we labor is the difficulty of curing such 
heavy and succulent herbage ; this, however, will 
by and by be removed, both by the adoption of the 
French system of ensilage, and by better methods 
of drying the fodder. On the whole, the system of 
ensilage offers by far 
the greatest advan¬ 
tages ; the fodder be¬ 
ing preserved in a 
fresh and succulent 
condition, and the 
labor of preparing 
the silos, cutting the 
stalks, and properly 
protecting them from 
the atmosphere, be¬ 
ing actually no more 
than that of drying 
the crop in the usual 
manner, storing it in 
stacks, and cutting it 
afterwards for use 
when it is needed. It 
is impossible, how¬ 
ever, that even the 
best improvements 
can be introduced 
otherwise than slow¬ 
ly and with caution; 
the old system, al¬ 
though it may be less effective and profitable than 
the new, will be long retained by many; and even 
in the old methods improvements are being made 
from season to season by the ingenuity of farmers. 
For instance, we recently saw a very simple but 
useful arrangement for the ventilation of stacks, 
and mows in barns, which is applicable to the cur¬ 
ing of corn fodder. It consists of a frame (fig. 1), 
Fig. 2.— VENTILATOR. 
